Faridkot, November 4
The son-in-law of a former IAS officer has spilled the beans about many shady deals being planned by some politically and bureaucratically connected arms smugglers with gangsters involved in high-profile kidnappings.

Gursher Singh Pannu, who was arrested two days ago by the Faridkot police in connection with smuggling of weapons, has reportedly told the police that prime targets of these gangsters were rich and famous people such as rapper Yo Yo Honey Singh and children of well-to-do families of Kotkapura town.

Gursher had reached Faridkot to allegedly help already arrested three members of the kidnapping gang, including kingpin Paras, who had camped in Kotkapura for over two weeks to lay hands on the targeted children.

Mohnish Chawla, DIG, Faridkot range, said Paras’ interrogation had led the police to the fire weapons’ racket flourishing in Punjab and two politically connected brothers — Gursher Singh Pannu and Gurtej Singh Pannu — who were key players in the gang.

He said the Pannu brothers, residents of Sector 9 of Chandigarh, provided logistic support to many notorious gangsters of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Punjab by selling them lethal, high-tech and sophisticated smuggled weapons. They also provided them red-beacon luxury cars and hideouts to stash weapons and their members.

While Gursher is known for his proximity to the son of a former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Gurtej is close to a senior Punjab Congress leader.

Involved in many property disputes in Punjab and HP, the Pannu brothers used their political and bureaucratic connections to win cases.

“The Pannu brothers’ easy access to high-profile political leaders in the BJP and the Congress in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh has made this case highly sensitive. We are keeping senior party leaders of both parties updated on the issue,” said Faridkot SSP Sukhdev Singh Kahlon.

The police have so far recovered 14 US-made fire weapons, some of which are prohibited in India, from Punjab, Haryana and UP. It is learnt that weapons were sold by the Pannu brothers.

In January, when Team Modi was launched in Chandigarh to connect with the youth, Gurtej was one of its primary members to drum up support for Modi's prime ministerial candidature.

On kidnappers’ radar

* The Pannu brothers — Gursher Singh Pannu and Gurtej Singh Pannu — were key players of the gang involved in high-profile kidnappings and smuggling of weapons

* Residents of Sector 9, Chandigarh, they provided logistic support to many notorious gangsters of Haryana, UP, Rajasthan and Punjab by selling them lethal, high-tech and sophisticated smuggled weapons